A year ago, the idea of Mookie Betts playing shortstop — let alone being nominated for a Gold Glove there — felt like baseball fiction. Today, it’s one of the sport’s most unbelievable realities.
In his first full season manning the position, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has not only silenced every skeptic but redefined what’s possible for an athlete already considered elite. Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield, now finds himself a finalist for one at shortstop — the most demanding position on the diamond.
The 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists – NL Short Stop – Masyn Winn, Nick Allen, Mookie Betts#RawlingsGoldGloveAwards pic.twitter.com/vuFYoGMG0v
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 15, 2025
“I think the only person on this planet who believed Mookie Betts would be in this conversation was Mookie Betts,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s something that’s never been done. It’s incredible.”
The Dodgers’ journey to the brink of another World Series has been fueled by many things — timely hitting, dominant pitching, postseason poise — but Betts’ steady glove at short has been its quiet heartbeat. His transformation from outfielder to infielder has been seamless, even poetic, a testament to his relentless work ethic and baseball instincts.
“We can’t add extra pressure just because we’re one win away from going to the World Series,” said Betts’ of his mindset ahead of Game 4. “We have to keep in mind we’re 5 wins away from our ultimate goal.”
Caught the tail end of Mookie Betts post game scrum with the media. Dodgers are one win away from returning to the World Series. pic.twitter.com/EHWAUuMa2H
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) October 17, 2025
Miguel Rojas, the man who once owned that position and now a Gold Glove finalist himself as a utility player, has seen it all up close. “He doesn’t take days off,” Rojas said. “Even when we have an off day, he’s still out there asking how he can get better. That’s who Mookie is. Relentless.”
Dodgers infielder Miggy Ro on how the team has come together since blowing Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s no-hitter in Baltimore, and how they’ve become a family, spending all their time together as a team during this dominant postseason run. pic.twitter.com/Rnhhv8aspo
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) October 17, 2025
That relentlessness was on display again Thursday night when Betts ranged deep into the hole, backhanded a screaming grounder, and fired a one-hop laser across his body to Freddie Freeman for the out — a play that felt less human than instinctual.
MOOKIE BETTS 🤯
WHAT A PLAY! pic.twitter.com/Pk8DLCYGCV
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2025
Betts, ever the perfectionist, later said he’d go back and rewatch it on video. “I watch every play I make,” he said. “Even the routine ones. There’s always something to learn.”
For Betts, the award would be nice, sure — but not necessary. “If it comes with a Gold Glove, cool. If it doesn’t, cool,” he said, his voice steady, grounded in self-belief. “I just care that I did everything I could to help us win.”
Still, the thought of him becoming a Gold Glove winner as both an outfielder and an infielder isn’t lost on anyone — least of all Betts himself. He smiled when asked about it.
“Something I can definitely tell my son, I was able to win one in the infield and one in the outfield, but at the end of the day it’s all about winning the World Series.”
For a player who once ruled the grass and now commands the dirt, “cool” might be an understatement. What Betts has done this season is history in motion — the kind that makes even the impossible look routine.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles